RP:A Brush with Death's Horned Minion

From HollowWiki

Part of the How to Train your Wizard Arc



  • Satoshi, Kit-vampire, Greasy Snowcone Frost Singer.





Svilfon hears the ominous squarking that heralds the coming of the Percy. "Whaarrrk, Pieces of Eight, Pieces of Eight, Captain's an ugly wench!" Fluttering in, not bothered by the cold, comes the dreaded parrot - gifted to the wizard by that bastard dandy. It squarks again, before setting its beady little eyes on Satoshi, "cap'n is an ugly wench, and you're a greasy snowcone! Quarhhk!"


Satoshi's awake, finally, and doing a one-armed stretch to work out the kinks in her back earned from dozing in an armchair. She honestly shouldn't have slept with her head injury as it is, but there are a lot of things in life Satoshi does that start with "shouldn't". Like she shouldn't be considering eating that strange parrot. ...did it just call her a greasy snowcone?


Satoshi said to Percy, "C'mere and see how greasy I am, feathers."


Svilfon begins to stir as the insidious quarking makes its way through his sleep-filled brain. But no, it must be a nightmare.. He tricked that damn parrot.. didn't he? Percy, never one to be bothered by threats (He has been threatened more than Sage elves, me thinks) flutters over to Satoshi and squarks loudly in her face, "Pieces of Eight, Pieces of Eight, Cap'n wears a filthy dress and you're a dirty snowcone! Quaarrrkkk!" He flutters about, smug as a parrot can be. Quuaarrrrhhhk!


Satoshi jerks back a little when the bird screeches in her face, ears pressing flat. The insult is so blatantly delivered, and so unexpected, that it leaves the kit grasping for her own retort, and the best she can muster is a lame, "O-oi! I am not! I'm as fastidious as the best of cats!"


Svilfon || Percy is about to remind Satie that she too is an ugly wench, and greasy to boot, quark, before she mentions the parrot's bane. "Pieces of Eight, Pieces of Eight! Cap'n's still an ugly wench..." He flutters by the door, "And you're a greasy snowcone! Quaahhhhrrrkkk!" Before kit-vampire or the deceased wizard can stop him, Percy has flown outside, to go cause havoc; the faint sounds of, "You're a sack of potatoes, quaaarrrk!" can be heard coming from beside the new golem... Svil swears many times as he wakes up. This was not the way to begin unlife he is sure.


Satoshi writes off that insulting splash of color as the remnants of a dream and yawns, considering going back to her nap when she catches sight of another source of color. "Is that... blood?" The considerably large rusty brown stain marring the nearby floorboards catches her eye and the kit quirks a brow at Svilfon in concern. "Who died while I was sleeping, eh?" That should have woken her up...


Svilfon groans as he becomes fully awake - his body awash with pain. "That god damn..." For a moment he doesn't remember what happened last night, before the wizard realizes there is a stillness within him.. a lack of life that sobers his rage like water on a fire. "Who died?" He laughs, the sound empy, "Me?" He feels the hunger within him, but does not yet understand its nefarious purpose. "What's for breakfast?" Is all he can manage.


Satoshi trills out a laugh and shakes her head again. "Yes, you -do- look like death. Drank too mu-" At this point, the magus freezes and cocks an ear toward the wizard. A long moment is spent this way before, very rigidly, she turns to face him and -really- look at him. Even her nose gives a delicate twitch as she takes in his scent across the gap. Hesitantly, eyes still flicking from one part of the wizard to another, Satoshi whispers, "Let me see your teeth..."


Svilfon laughs again in that empty way, before he pushes himself forward on his chair and rests his head between his hands. "Drunk too much... Yes..." His face cringes as waves of hunger flow through his body, before he turns his head sideways to peer one-eyed at the snow queen. (almost wrote cone >>), "My teeth?" He draws in a breath; usually not one to pay attention to things like scents, he finds his mind swamped by what he smells; a clarity never before known, and one rather unpleasant to the wizard. But he does adhere to the queen of Frostmaw, he flashes her a lop-sided grin, showing where once there were spaces two fine fangs of a pearly-white hue.


Satoshi takes the revelation in stride, merely blinking at the newly grown fangs that serve as confirmation to her guess. What she -does- show concern for, however, is that familiar flicker of thirst gleaming in his eyes. She knows that overpowering emotion far too well. In a flash Satoshi is on her feet, her good hand urging Svilfon to do the same. "Let's go. Outside. Now. Don't breathe." The last thing she needs is for him to get a deep whiff of some wounded giant ambling into the tavern, and considering how fight-happy her people are... that's a highly probable thing. Instead, she'll attempt to avoid that unpleasant scenario by ordering the wizard outside. And if that doesn't work... whispered promises of a meal serve as Plan B: Coax-a-Wizard.


Svilfon eyes the queen as she stands. "Don't breathe But I'll..." Die, no - we've crossed that bridge already. The sired wizard shakes his head; holding onto his promise like a blazing light leading him through the darkness. He will not contemplate his choice until he or the lichdrow were destroyed. So with ungainly movements he gets to his feet, his hand resting on the arm of his chair. "Outside... it's cold..." But he doesn't feel cold now. He feels... hungry... "Yes, Satoshi queen." Was there a hint of anger in her name; a blame perhaps unconsciously added? "Let us go... eat..." Whether or not he knows what this means is rather unclear, but he does move to the door awkwardly, as if he had two left feet.


Satoshi herds Svilfon outside like the fluffiest Corgi ever. It's -fluff-, not fat!




Satoshi said to Svilfon, "I sincerely hope you're my husband's doing, and I don't have some feral vampire running around in my territory, turning random strangers." The bridge of her nose is pinched then in a silent gesture of frustration. "-Why- exactly? Please tell me you two at least introduced yourselves to each other beforehand?" Knowing Kasyr? Probably not. "And hellfire, why did he leave you alone in a tavern full of people that practically -bathe- in blood?"


Satoshi is mostly fuming at Kasyr by this point, Svilfon just happens to be in yelling range.


Svilfon responds to her words with a wave of anger. He was hungry, starving; last night he had his life torn out of him, for the crime of not being adequate to avenge his captain. He was not ready for this, so he replied to Satoshi in harsh tones, "This was done for you! And for him..." He glares, the predatory gleam of feral hunger present in his pale eyes. "I did it for that god damn captain. I did it for my god damn loyalty. And all I've god damn heard since I came to this god damn place is god damn people telling me I cannot do what I god damn want!" For a moment it seems Svil will attack Satoshi again, so raw is his anger, before as quick as it came it fades away... "Ask your husband what he did... I did not agree to this!" Were he able, he would have stalked off and probably starved to death somewhere in the icy region. But instead, after his outburst, all he can do is lean on the wall of the tavern, trying to ignore the battling feelings of starvation and frustration.


Satoshi bristles in return, meeting anger with her own defensive rage complete with claws flexed and fangs bared. ...Up until the wizard's last remark. The kit practically wilts then, a snarling beast shrinking down into an apprehensive kitten. "...Against your will? He... that's.... I..." Forehead finds palm quickly then, but little solace is given to a pounding head from chilled flesh. Incomprehensible mutterings issue from the magus for a long moment, her seething anger and confusion creating an almost palpable aura that even the drifting snowflakes seem to avoid. After a time, Satoshi raises her head and looks at Svilfon, her expression blank and her eyes weary. "C'mon. You need to eat, more than anything else. We can think afterwards." She could certainly use that brief escape from the world of thought and drown in the bliss of contentment, even if for just a moment.


Svilfon shook his head as the Ice Magus finished speaking, "Not against my will... not quite..." The wizard seems completely deflated by this point. He almost wished she had come at him tooth and claw, "This, snow queen!" He spreads his hands, "Is not what I agreed to." He steps towards her, almost falling as his feet slide across the icy ground. "Yesterday I was prepared to die... Today?" He shakes his head, leaving the thought unspoken. "Do not be angry at Kasyr, Satoshi queen. This was my doing alone." With a faint nod, and a tip of his hat; reflex more than anything, he flashes her his pearly-fanged gap-toothed smile. "Let us eat, lady icicle..." Hints of his own humor not entirely lost, "Then yes, let us think..." His eyes begin to develope that feral edge again as his words fade out... Eating... It feels like it has been a lifetime... it almost has...


Satoshi nods at Svilfon's words, baring her teeth. "Eat, we shall. Follow me, and just let your feet do the moving. Don't think about it. You'll adjust quicker that way." With that the kit dashes off, moving across the snow with hardly an indent like the Ghost she's been dubbed. At the top of a snowbank, however, she pauses to add quietly, "No one is ever prepared for it, no matter what they think. You'll find yourself again. That didn't die..."


Svilfon wanders after Satoshi - his movements stark contrast to her natural grace. But she was correct, in part - if he moved without thinking it was far less ungaingly. Nevertheless, by the time he has caught up to the snow queen his hat is covered in flakes of snow; at least he only fell over twice! To her words, as they walked, he replied. "It is not what I expected... It is..." He shakes his head, before his nose captures the scent of a warm-blooded animal... His face grows feral, and the grin he flashes Satoshi is wickedly vicious. "Let us hunt!"


Satoshi hunkers down as she too catches the scent, eyes brightening with malicious delight. Another sniff is taken and she tips her head with ears twitching, trying to determine the location more accurately. Mountain goat. Perfect, fast and nimble, but not likely to be as dangerous when fighting back, unlike a snow jaguar or a winter wolf. Without a word Satoshi slinks off toward a rocky outcropping, swinging wide around its right side as tails lash with barely suppressed enthusiasm.


Svilfon spends just a moment admiring Satoshi's stalking, before he lowers himself down; a faintly ludicrous action considering the large hat that sits on his head,. but at least it's covered in snow - camouflage, wizard style. He follows her path as silently as he can; and as he begins to relax...As his mind wanders through the feral hunger inside him, his body reacts to the hunter's instict within. Without knowing he comes almost graceful; ears and nose attuned to every sound like never before. It would pass when life was less exciting, that familar confusion returning, but for now there is food to be caught! - and nothing else seems to matter...


Satoshi draws herself up behind a large boulder, tipping her head just enough to peep around its girth at the goat grazing mere feet away. Nodding to herself in affirmation, the kit lowers back down and turns to face the strangely graceful wizard, pressing a finger to her lips before gesturing for him to stay where he is. She closes her eyes then and exhales deeply, her form seeming to shrink as the breath is expelled, until her former shell has dissolved into the compacted form of a fox. Opening her eyes then, the kit steps forward on tiny paws to press the end of her muzzle to Svilfon's forehead. What passes between them then isn't so much words as they are a brief series of images, ideas and thought, a spark of communication between coven-mates that states simply, "Stay. I'll herd it to you. Be ready." And with a short huff of a vulpine laugh, the fox darts away, disappearing into the frosted grasses to loop around to the goat's other side. Svilfon will only have to wait a matter of seconds before a high-pitched yip sounds, followed by the bleat of a goat, and the clatter of swiftly approaching hooves.


Svilfon lifts his hand and absently scratches Sato-fox behind her ear as they share that moment of silent communication. A brief nod is offered, affirming the plan, before Svil prepares himself for what is to come. He feels a mounting excitement grow; his insidious hunger swamped beneath the thrill of the hunt... Yes, it's just a poor goat trying mind its own business... But to the deceased wizard they might as well be hunting a lonesome human on a cold windy night. As the startled bleat reaches his ears, every muscle in the man's body tenses, before the clitter clatter of approaching hooves gives way to the terrified creature, being chased behind by the foxy queen. With a grin of truimph, Svil leaps foward onto the beast, lacing his arms around its body, before being half dragged through the snow. He has, in truth, no real idea how he's supposed to kill it. Does he bite it to death? That seems hardly fair. But there, in his arms, is the warmth... the blood... so close... Without looking back at the snow queen, Svil moves his head foward and bites down into the creature's neck. Having only two fangs and a few teeth, it's not overly effective in killing the best. But down his throat flows that sweet blood, the bleating cries of horror ignored as he feeds. Satoshi, it seems forgotten...


Satoshi skids across ice and gravel upon dainty paws, coming to a sudden halt as she stares wide-eyed and flabbergasted at the scene playing out before her, with all thoughts of feeding vanished. The stubborn old goat refuses to die from a mere bite, and the undead wizard seems equally stubborn to relinquish his hold upon the animal's throat, and it all combines to create the silliest, bloodiest waltz the lands have ever seen. When the goat begins leaping in wide circles and bucking frantically, blood spraying in all directions, it's all Satoshi can do to collapse into fits of laughter, the sound a series of dulcet chirrups and yips heavily laced with amusement--even if the voice of the smallish predator just serves to send the hooven prey prancing all the more wildly.


Svilfon lets out a slurping grunt as he's made to dance with the goat. His body jarrs across the icy surface as he continues to bite, gum and suck on the wound - his mind swamped between satisfying his hunger and having his dignity hurled off one of Frostmaw's many high cliffs. As the goat begins to buckle widly, Svil hears the foxish chitters of her laughter. He manages to flash her a terrified glare of sorts, before he is rather thoroughly bested by his goatish opponent. The wizard turned vampire, soon to hunt the mighty Lichdrow, is left laying in a pool of pinkish water as the goat breaks free. In its terror it runs towards Satoshi, and the deceased spell-caster can only hope against hope it meets that snickering sly fox head to head, as it lowers its own and picks up speed... Svil cannot watch, though. All he can manage to do is lick his lips and say in a ruffled voice, "For the love of snow and ice, don't bloody tell Kasyr!"


Satoshi is too absorbed in amusing herself at the wizard's expense to notice her doom charging head-on for her position. It's while she's attempting to stifle further snickering by means of paws pressed over her muzzle that she's rudely introduced to the goat's headbutt--accurately named, as it's the goat's head colliding with her... tails. Laughter very swiftly transforms into a startled yelp during momentary sailing, followed up with squeaks for each bounce against the permafrost, and ended with a whimpery groan as her furry little form finally comes to a skidding halt. Oh, she won't be telling Kasyr -anything-, she can promise Svilfon that, not after her dignity just made a suicide pact with the wizard's.


Svilfon remains laying still for a long moment, before he pushes himself to his elbows. As the goat gives a final bleat of triumph, mocking both the vampires, who are also high ranking mage guild members, and one is a queen... The wizard stops this line of thought abruptly. Instead he looks over at the rather undignified fox and flashes her a bloody grin. "That was great! Let's do it again!" The vampiric wizard is unware of the sanguine stains that dribble down his chin, though his hunger still lurks beneath the surface, the feed he got was enough to apparently fuel the return of his typical joviality.


Satoshi flops over with an undignied 'oof' and sharply shakes her head, oversized foxish ears waggling comically with the motion. But before those ears have even settled, Satoshi's shifting back into her more threatening shape, teeth bared in a grimace. "Let's -not-. Next time, a snow jaguar. Or pack of wolves. Hell, I'll take my chances with the dragons. But... No. More. Goats." Rising to her feet, the kit winces at her poor, tenderized backside and shoots the departing goat a deathglare that promises they'll meet again, on a level playing field.


Svilfon lays back in the snow for just a moment as Satoshi returns to her normal self. He ignores the cold water seeping through his robes as he enjoys the feeling, brief as it may be, of not having that ravenous hunger surging through his veins. He would laugh at her words, before, with a groan that speaks of both a bruised body and ego, the deceased wizard gets back to his feet. "Satoshi queen." He tips his hat, doing his best to suppress the feral side that seems to stalk beneath his surface, "For my earlier words..." He shakes his head, "They were spoken..." He offers a lame shrug of his shoulders, "I am sorry." He would flash her a bloody grin, then. "...And count me in, lady icicle.. This hunting business is..." He shrugs again with a wink, "Fun."


Satoshi returns the grin with her own equally fanged one. "I should hope I can count you in. You're family now, pointy hat. I'll show you how fun that es~." She trails off into a chuckle then, beginning to idly rock back and forth upon her heels in a habit she involuntarily obtained form her husband. After a time, and once the worst of her wounded pride has passed, the kit offers quietly, "Whatever the reason for your choice, right, wrong, or neither, it's been made. It can't be undone, no matter how angry you get, how much you beg, how much you -wish-. You can regret it and live eternity in misery, or you can embrace it, and -live-." Looking over her shoulder, she flashes the wizard a lopsided smirk. "Past is past, future ain't here yet, so live for now~."


Svilfon spends a long moment staring at the snow queen. Before he nods his head with a grin, "Emiur's gonna love this!" To her quietly spoken words he nods again, his smile fading, "We are family..." He mulls those words silently over as he absently brushes snow from his robes, "I have always had a simple philosophy, lady icicle: Thinking too much is for stupid people. I was stupid." He flicks off a few lingers clumps of snow from his hat without taking his eyes from the kit-vampire. "Better to, I think, close your eyes and just jump in... What's the worst that could happen?" Those words are feared more than almost any amongst the magelings of the guild. The only ones that cause more dread are, 'Your next lesson will be with Satoshi'. "It will not happen again, snow queen. I will enjoy this, here..." He spreads his hand wide, "And let the future take care of itself..."


Satoshi snickers, her hand swiping out to knock the wizard's freshly cleaned hat askew. "Remind me to take you jumping off cliffs, then. You'd be amazed what sorts of natural wonders wait at the bottom of places folks only attempt to peek at from above~." Clearly 'what's the worst that could happen?' is not something Satoshi puts much worry in. Well... except when she's silently musing about the worst things that could happen to a certain goat. The injustice of that attack will not go unpunished!


Svilfon grins from beneath the brim of his hat, as it's pushed down to partly cover his face. "Cliff jumping! You live the right life up here, lady queen!" He grins again, before lifting the brim to flash her a wink. "Thanks for lunch, too..." He lets the brim fall back down. "A fine hunt that can happily remain between you and I. 'Till death..." He snickers at the irony of that. "You know what I mean."


Satoshi delivers a sweeping bow in response. "You dance with Death often, yesterday was merely a very intimate tango, m'dear cloud-chasing wizard~. Now just stick around, we'll show you all the steps you need to keep up with the new routines. I might even teach you a song or two~." Giving a trilling laugh at that, Satoshi turns on a heel and begins ambling off in the direction the goat stumbled, likely to determine where the horned bastard keeps his lair for future reference.


Svilfon tipped his hat, before straightening it on his head. He grins at the reminder that he owes her a song, but all he replies is, "Happy hunting."